Courage Gained
by Selena Shepard
Summary: The galaxy is falling apart. Instead of finding aid at Palaven, Commander Shepard finds chaos. Entry for January's contest at Aria's Afterlife.


_AN: I just love you guys too fucking much to leave you alone. Just submitting for this month's contest at Aria's Afterlife. Please enjoy. It was supposed to be longer but I'll continue it in the future. For now, it is complete. The prompt was to create a scenario in which one of the characters didn't exist. In this case, I chose Garrus. Read on and you'll see what happens. _

_P.S. In case you didint already know, I am on a hiatus. Check my profile for more details._

_P.P.S I love you all. Thanks for supporting me even when I'm not writing._

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Earth had been ravaged by the Reapers. Buildings that once stood tall and proud now laid in the ground, nothing more than rubble that took the lives of thousands. The smell of burning flesh overwhelmed anyone that stepped outside to the dark sky. Katherine Shepard barely made it out alive.

She had left to find help at Anderson's behest, and reinstated as "Commander." There was no time to celebrate; there was a galaxy to save. She had traveled to the Mars Archives, saved some students from Grissom Academy, and had been rejected by the Council in her call for help. Even with a seat in the Council, humanity was still second-class in the eyes of the other races.

The turian councillor had requested her aid, however. Palaven was burning, just like Earth. There weren't any reports of what exactly was happening, only rumors. "A favor for a favor," Sparatus had told Shepard. If she helped his people, he would try to send aid to Earth. Having no other option, the N7 soldier accepted.

The reports weren't far off as to Palaven's condition. It was chaos. No one had prepared for the Reapers, no task force, no police force. No one was able to help Palaven's citizens escape in time. _If only the Council had listened to me._

Even from space, one could see the giant fires happening on the surface. The entire planet was coated in a fiery blanket. Palaven's moon, Menae, had suffered the same fate. Reapers of all sizes shot down dreadnoughts and cruisers, demolishing the turians. It was hopeless.

The Normandy dropped off Shepard and her squad composed of Ashley, James, and Liara. They did not take a step before they were surrounded by husks, some turian-looking ones and others human. Shepard had seen many battlefields, but the urge to empty her stomach was becoming a bit too much. Forcing the bile down, she and her squad pushed forward, searching for some type of command center.

After hordes of husks, they finally came across a camp that was somehow still not overwhelmed by Reaper forces.

"Hold your fire! Friendlies!" Shouted one of the entrance guards to his comrades. "Go on in!" He told Shepard.

Wounded and dead soldiers littered the camp. Supplies were short, as were able men. Near the center, a turian was shouting orders to some of his men.

"We can't hold this place long, but we're not giving up! Find any weapons and ammo you can, don't do anything rash, and don't engage the enemy unless you have to."

"Yes, sir!" The company acknowledged.

Shepard waited until the soldiers left the commanding turian. He turned to her when he noticed her approach.

"I heard reports of humans arriving, but I never thought it'd be Commander Shepard." He offered his hand and Shepard shook it firmly.

"I heard you needed help. And you are?"

"General Adrien Victus." The turian responds.

"What do we got?"

"Everything and nothing. We're running out of weapons, ammo, supplies." He pauses. "Soldiers too." He adds. "Maybe we should have listened to you, commander."

"No time for 'what ifs.' Now we have to act."

"You're right. But there isn't anything we can do. We-"

"Reaper ship incoming!" Someone cried.

"Get down!" Shepard yelled.

A laser beam passed through the camp, taking with it the lives of some of the soldiers. Another pass, and more soldiers were turned to ash by the Reaper ship. Thinking there was no one else, the Reaper moved on.

"Spirits..." Victus said, barely audible above the gunfire happening in the distance. He looked around, seeing that the dead count had risen, as well as the wounded. The camp was destroyed, turians limped as they went to help their fellows. The last of their defense had fallen.

"General," Shepard began, "we have to get as many of you out of here."

"I am not leaving my people alone!" He yelled, gaining the attention of the remaining soldiers.

"If we don't leave now, all of you will die, general. There isn't anything you can do for the people of Palaven. What you can do is make sure their lives were not lost in vain."

Victus turned to face the soldiers, all had formed in front of the spectacle, awaiting orders of the last remaining commanding officer on Menae. His mandibles twitched slightly, and his stance changed, looking defeated.

"You...are right, commander." He finally conceded. "We leave Menae."

The camp fell quiet. The turians looked at each other with expressions Shepard could not discern. She imagined that some were relieved and others angry. But there wasn't anything they could do against the Reapers. Not yet, at least.

"Men!" Victus addressed the remaining soldiers. "Turians don't give up. But this fight," his gaze fell to the ground, eyes shifting. "This fight we cannot win." He looks up at the soldiers again. "Shepard is right. We must avenge those that have been taken from us. But not here. It is hopeless here."

A soldier stepped up. "What are we to do, general?"

"We'll head to the Citadel. Inform the councilor that we were unable to fend off the Reapers. Then, find a way to help those who can still be saved."

Another soldier addressed the general. "You expect us to leave?! What kind of turian yields to his enemy?" He cried.

Others began to cause an uproar. Shepard decided to end the quarrel before it escalated further. "You aren't yielding. You're not surrendering. You will continue to fight. I know exactly how you feel. You think I want to be out here, searching for help? No. I want to be on Earth, saving as many of my people as I can. But I have a responsibility, just like all of you do. This war can only be won if we join forces, if we stand united against a common enemy.

"The Reapers think we are all beneath them. They think they can throw us around like a ragdoll, to be toyed with only when they please. Are you that? Something to be used then thrown away for someone's amusement?

"Turians, asari, salarian, batarians, humans. All of us are insignificant to them. We have to prove them wrong."

Realization and understanding filled everyone's eyes at Shepard's words. Some nodded, others stood straighter.

"You heard her, soldiers." Victus said. "Remember what has happened here. Do not forgive, never forget. We are turians! And we _will_ defeat the Reapers!"

The men yelled with newfound courage, finding meaning where hope had vanished. They began to move at Victus' request, recovering as many supplies as they could from their fallen brother and sisters. Some soldiers returned to the now-destroyed camp after receiving the message through comms. After some time, they moved out.


End file.
